User Interface
Oberon has a text user interface (TUI). It combines the point-and-click convenience of a graphical user interface (GUI) with the linguistic strength of a command line interface (CLI) and is closely tied to naming conventions of the Oberon language. Any text appearing on the screen can be edited and used as command input. Nothing like a prompt is required. Although radically different from a command line, the TUI is very efficient and powerful. A steep ascent in the early learning curve makes it difficult to start with. Its usage and programming interface is documented in Martin Reiser's book "The Oberon System." It has yet to appear in more commonplace operating systems, although it strongly inspired Rob Pike's Acme system under Plan 9 from Bell Labs. Whether the worksheet interface of the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop influenced Oberon's TUI or vice versa is difficult to decide since the Oberon System was based on Wirth's previous computer design the Lilith, and both the Apple Macintosh and the Lilith were inspired by the Alto.
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